The liver plays a central and complex role in health, being responsible for synthesis of key molecules, maintenance of metabolic balance, and detoxification processes. Liver disease is among the ten leading causes of death in the United States. Its investigation spans basic science and clinical medicine. At the University of California, San Francisco, the liver is a major focus of study in twelve Departments and two Schools (Medicine and Pharmacy) and is represented on all three University's major campuses (Moffitt-Long Hospital, San Francisco General Hospital, and the Veterans Administration Medical Center). New goals for the next period of funding include broadening the use of molecular and genetic methods. To this end, a new core facility (Molecular Biology) is proposed. In addition, two core facilities providing animal models will be merged into a single Animal Core Facility. The Center is recognized for major contributions to digestive diseases research at UCSF and, through several of its Core Facilities, serves as a national resource, providing rare animals or reagents and training in specialized techniques.